A Look Back at D-I-V-O-R-C-E-S and Other Hillbilly Highlights

Sara Evans Divorces Husband, Keith Urban Urban Seeks Rehab, Troy Gentry Pleads Guilty, Willie Nelson Busted for Pot. The country music headlines of 2006 read a lot like the lyrics of a country song. Anyway, here are the hillbilly highlights of the past 12 months.
January: Happy New ... Ouch! The annual Nielsen Soundscan count revealed country album sales for 2005 were down 3.3 percent from those of the previous year. But if you figured in Garth Brooks' albums -- which were sold only through Wal-Mart and not tallied -- then maybe 2005 wasn't so bad after all. ... Sugarland announced that founding member Kristen Hall was leaving the group to concentrate on songwriting.
February: Alison Krauss copped three Grammys, bringing her career total to 20. Merle Haggard and the late producer Owen Bradley won lifetime achievement Grammys.
March: Irish-born singer-songwriter Van Morrison made his first visit to Nashville and performed songs from his country album, Pay the Devil, during a sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium.
April: Joe Galante assumed control of all Sony BMG country labels in a move that dislodged Sony Nashville chieftain John Grady.
May: Kenny Chesney won the Academy of Country Music's entertainer of the year award, while Little Jimmy Dickens, Kris Kristofferson, Earl Scruggs and the late Bill Monroe were each tapped for ACM's Pioneer prize.
June: The Musicians Hall of Fame opened in downtown Nashville. ... The Country Music Association declared that the four-day 2006 CMA Music Festival had attracted an "aggregate total" of 161,590 paying fans. ... Keith Urban married Nicole Kidman in Australia.
July: Billboard announced it was buying its major music business competitor, Radio & Records.
August: Toby Keith's theatrical film, Broken Bridges, was shown to U.S. troops in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Qatar, marking the first time a new movie has been screened in a remote military location prior to its theatrical debut. ... John Michael Montgomery reached a plea agreement with authorities in Lexington, Ky., in connection with his February 2006 arrest on DUI charges. Montgomery did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him. ... Darryl Worley and his wife of five years, Beverly, filed for divorce. ... After previous marriage ceremonies near St. Tropez, France, and Los Angeles, Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson tied the night for a third time at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in downtown Nashville. They filed for divorce four months later.
September: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill wrapped up their 73-show Soul2Soul II tour, an undertaking that grossed nearly $89 million. ... McGraw and his producer, Byron Gallimore, established Stylesonic Records and disclosed that the new label's first album would be the soundtrack to McGraw's movie, Flicka. ... Willie Nelson was busted on his bus in Louisiana for possession of marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms. ... Neil Young was voted the Americana Music Association's artist of the year. ... The Grascals won the International Bluegrass Music Association's entertainer of the year prize. ... A historical marker was dedicated at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium proclaiming that venue the "Birthplace of Bluegrass."
October: While participating as a contestant on TV's Dancing With the Stars, Sara Evans gained even more national media attention after filing for divorce from husband Craig Schelske, alleging irreconcilable differences, inappropriate marital conduct and adultery. ... Keith Urban checked himself into the Betty Ford Center for treatment of alcohol abuse. ... Jimmy Buffett, Hugh Prestwood and Jim Weatherly were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. ... ASCAP named "Jesus, Take the Wheel" as its song of the year and presented songwriter Jimmy Webb its Voice of Music award.
November: Tony Brown and Tim DuBois exited Universal South, the label they founded, and surrendered the office keys to producer Mark Wright. ... BMI feted "As Good as I Once Was" as its song of the year and honored Merle Haggard with its Icon award. ... SESAC tagged "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" as its song of the year. ... Kenny Chesney won the Country Music Association's entertainer of the year award. ... George Strait, Sonny James and Harold Bradley were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. ... Faith Hill was widely excoriated for making a gesture of incredulity when Carrie Underwood won the CMA's female vocalist trophy. Hill said she was just joking and apologized. ... Montgomery Gentry's Troy Gentry pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge stemming from the 2004 death of Cubby, a domesticated, trophy-caliber black bear. In exchange for admitting he falsely registered a captive bear, Gentry was fined $15,000 and barred from hunting, fishing or trapping in Minnesota, where the kill took place, for five years.
December: Dolly Parton was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. After two separate attempts at singing "9 to 5," Jessica Simpson asked that her musical tribute be deleted from the CBS telecast.

Jason Boland & the Stragglers in Nacogdoches 12-16-06

Sister K and I just happened to be in the Nacogdoches area that weekend and went to see Jason Boland & the Stragglers. It had only been a week since we'd saw them but what the hell! They always put on a good show and we love them! We took our Cousin B with us and Cousin S, Cousin R and Cousin E met us there. By the end of the night, I had a tab over $70 and had somehow spilled Jagermeister all over the front of my shirt. Me drink Jager @ a Boland show?

Jesse Dayton 12-9 @ the Armadillo Palace

Jesse was in rare form that night or was it Sister K and I? Maybe he was drunk or was that us? I had to google Fellini the week after in order to figure out some of his slams to his fans from the stage. I didn't notice any midgets or freaks of any kind that night @ the Armadillo but then again, I left "Lights in the Heights" after drinking champagne, Jagermeister, beer, and 3 shots of unidentifiable liquor so maybe they were there but unrecognizable to me. I had a great time that night except for the slams to the crowd. Was my Santa hat so bad and was Sister K's Raggedy Ann costume so bad that he didn't know what to think? (Oh yeah, that's right. He's from Beaumont.) It maybe awhile before I go and see him for awhile. If I want to be slammed, I can stay @ home and get that from the kids...

Jason Boland & the Stragglers @ Yaga's in Galveston

December 8th...ah yes...I was there along with Sister K and Friend K. We brought unwrapped Christmas gifts for the toy drive that the Stragglers have every year and I actually was able to get a free JB&S Christmas ornament for the tree this year. I don't know why this is the 1st year I've ever gotten an ornament because I know this wasn't the first year I'd donated a toy. oh well...what can I say? I was stoned and missed it? Jason put on one helluva a show and so did the crowd. The place was packed elbow to asshole and Yaga's had $1 drinks from 10-11PM. Need I say more? I'm sure there are pictures posted SOMEWHERE of the drunktard women on the front row...who was that with the camera? I managed to watch the show standing beside of our Friends L & J...Friend L was stressed by the drunks for some reason that night. It was most definitely cramped quarters and I told her to punch the drunktard in the face but she wouldn't. It was the best of Brazoria and Galveston counties showing their asses for the Stragglers. Sorry you missed it...

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Ray Wylie Hubbard @ Puffabellys 11-29-06

Ray Wylie Hubbard (and his grandson made a brief appearance) acoustic with Davin James...enough said. Ray stole my sharpie that night...

Davin James @ Blanco's 12-7-06

Believe it or not, I actually went to Blanco's again. After all, our crowd has had trouble there before and the place kinda left a bad taste in my mouth since. Davin James was playing though so we made an exception. It had been awhile since I'd seen Davin with a full band and was quite please with the sound. I managed to dance with some men I'd never seen before and one of them paid our tab that night. I guess we were good dancers...lol ;-)

Dale Watson @ the Continental Club 12-2-06

yes...I was there along with my many friends that I've met on Hank III's message board. Seems we're all Dale Watson fans also. I didn't do my usual "drink til I puke" deal tonight since it seems someone beat me to the puking. The bathroom sink was full...yes, I did say sink. Seems some fucked up chick couldn't make it to the toilet or turn her head 2 feet and hit the garbage can. Disgusting... Anyway, I managed to dance with Friend T before he had to leave with some woman that we'd never seen before. I hope he's alright...I haven't heard from him in a few weeks. I also managed to lose an earring that night thanks to Friend T dragging me across the dance floor. A very special guest, James Hand, also made an appearance and sang a bunch of songs with Dale that night. It was a special night for me since I'd heard so much about James Hand before but this was the 1st time that I'd ever seen him before.

Jesse Dayton & the Cypress Saloon 11-25-06

ah yes...Sister K & I went to the Cypress Saloon to see Jesse Dayton. We got there early and I was hungry so decided to get a hamburger. It was nothing special though. Typical greasy hamburger with onion rings. Super D showed up that night and bought the beer...thanks D. I really needed to over indulge one more time. ;-) Jesse D joined us for a brief chat before the show started and the crowd started showing up...he also bought me a beer on his tab. lol

Cooder Graw retires from road, heads back to Llano Estacado

By Dru Willis / Special to the Reporter-News
December 7, 2006
When country band Cooder Graw takes the stage tonight in Stephenville, it will be one step closer to the end of a Texas music era. The band is breaking up.
''We have just been going at it for a long time and it's time to kind of switch things up and have a new approach on everything,'' singer Matt Martindale said in a recent telephone interview. ''It's been a long hard journey and none of us are really getting any younger and it is time for me to spend a lot more time at home really.''
Cooder Graw, known across Texas for songs such as ''Llano Estacado'' and ''Better Days,'' play tonight at Bostock's in Stephenville.
Martindale and the rest of the band have toured across the region for almost a decade playing nearly 200 shows a year. For him, it was time to put his family first and start a solo career.
''I can't be a road dog anymore. I want to put out CDs and be on the radio and let people listen to them, but I can't be playing in bars every night of my life,'' he said. ''I want to be at home with my family.''
Martindale also will go back to practicing law as a defense attorney in Amarillo, something he has been doing since June.
''I am excited to get to stay home more and get to practicing law again. I have got probably 30 criminals I am representing right now,'' he said. '' x85 It is getting busy, busier every day it seems like. It is going really well.''
Guitarist Kelly Turner will go back to working at the same business he was employed at before becoming a full-time musician. Drummer Jon Hunt will play drums in Martindale's new band and start his own solo band, while bassist Paul Baker's future is still uncertain, Martindale said.
The decision to break up was not easy, but there are no hard feelings between the guys.
''We get along great,'' Martindale said. ''There is not any bad blood between us or anything. There was not a violent exchange or anything. We all sat down and kind of decided that it was just time to do it.''

Mike Mancy Band w/Cory Morrow @ the horse track

Niece C and I went to see Mike Mancy Band open for Cory Morrow 11-24-06 @ the horse track. http://www.corymorrow.com/index.html http://www.shrp.com/ We had a good time and I had a few too many beers and had to leave early. My drunkeness along with the cold made it easy for me to leave which is not the norm. Did I mention that I hate cold weather? Niece C and this "guy" that will remain nameless snagged their clothing crawling under the fence going backstage and me and this other "guy" slid under the fence like snakes and then he bought me a beer...like I needed another. We saw Nick Worley and talked to him for a few minutes and I actually commented on his shaved bald head. For a bald headed guy, he looked pretty damn good. But then again, he always looks good and seems to know it. Anyhoo, check the link out above for Mike Mancy and for Cory Morrow.

You'll like them.
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